Oct. 29, 2010

John Dennis Gillane is suspected of shooting three people at a Reno Walmart on Friday.

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Jimmy Moses and his son Kyle outside Walmart at Firecreek Crossing Friday morning. Moses was dropping off his wife for her first day of work when they saw people pouring out of the store. Store employees told them that at least three people had been shot inside the store. / Photo by Tim Dunn/RGJ

Police approach the real of Walmart Friday Oct. 30, 2010 morning after reports of a shooter inside Walmart in south Reno and three people shot. / Marilyn Newton/RGJ

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Update 9:30-10 p.m., story adds charges, updates conditions

A Reno Walmart employee who apparently feared for his job is accused of shooting and wounding three Walmart employees Friday morning, including a manager. He then surrendered to police after holing up in an office in the Kietzke Lane store for six hours.

John Dennis Gillane, 45, of Reno, is being held on three counts of attempted murder, two counts of battery with substantial bodily harm and one count of battery with a deadly weapon, Reno police said Friday night. A handgun used in the shooting has been recovered, police said.

Two of the employees are in serious condition at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno while a third employee, shot in a leg, was released from the hospital.

Cheryl Rippee, Gillane’s girlfriend, said she was to move in with Gillane on Saturday, and he had told her nothing of his problems at work. “I don’t know anything,” she said. “I was getting ready to lose my job. He was going to help me out. He told me things would be OK.

“Now he’s going to be gone forever,” she said, breaking into tears. Rippee said Gillane has a 5-year-old daughter who lives with her mom.Reno Police Lt. Mohammad Rafaqat confirmed Gillane was to be counseled about his job status Friday.

“Today was going to be the day he was going to address his employment situation,” he said.

Police had not established a motive for the shooting but suspect it was related to a possible termination, Reno Deputy Police Chief Mike Whan said. At the Walmart store, Reno Police Chief Steve Pitts announced the end of the long stand-off at about 2:30 p.m. He said Gillane “had been taken into custody peacefully,” he said. He was taken away in an ambulance after complaining of chest pains.

Pitts and Rafaqat released few other details Friday and said a full news conference with more information would be held Monday or Tuesday.Speaking about the victims, “The prognosis is good for all of them,” said Dan Fogleman, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He provided no further details. Fogleman also declined to comment on Gillane’s possible pending termination or his relationship with the victims.

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Police could not say if the Walmart employees shot included more than one manager. They did not have details as to how the incident began – such as whether there was a confrontation before the shooting began at 8:30 a.m.Rafaqat could not say whether Gillane bought bullets for the gun at Walmart or how many shots were fired.

Several employees said there were at least 100 employees working as well as a number of customers at the store when then shooting began.Jimmy Moses had just dropped off his wife Marie for her first day of work at Walmart. “They were very efficient, they got everybody out fast and they kept everybody calm,” he said.

One employee said he heard shots and shouts of “Get out, get out, get out.” He fled out the door.

“I’m no fool,” he said. The Walmart employee did not give his name and was told by Walmart officials not to speak to the press.He said he did not hear the gunshots because the shooting occurred behind two doors in the back of the store.

Employees were kept in three buses in the nearby Sports Authority store parking lot for much of the day. A roster of employees was checked off and used to make sure all employees were out of the building, employees said.

Rafaqat said Reno police and rescue workers divided into three teams to quickly evacuate the building, retrieve the injured and find the shooter.At 12:30 p.m., SWAT team members and negotiators began two hours of talks to persuade Gillane to give up peacefully, Rafaqat said. No SWAT tactics had to be employed. “It was very successful,” he said.

Dogs were brought in as a psychological factor and, if needed, to corner Gillane, he said. As a precaution, police checked garbage cans across the parking lots in search of any explosive devices.

More than 30 public safety officers from Reno, Washoe County, Sparks, the FBI and U.S. Marshal’s office were involved. The Reno Fire Department and REMSA each had several trucks on site. Both Walmart and Sam’s Club were closed for most of the day.Pitts thanked other police agencies and Walmart for their cooperation and said the department’s “thoughts and prayers” goes out to those traumatized by the event.

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The Walmart store remained closed into Friday evening.

— With reports from the Associated Press

Update at 3:50 p.m.

Reno police said the Wal-Mart at 4855 Kietzke Lane will re-open sometime today following a shooting in the store this morning. A specific time has not been determined.

Update at 2:45 p.m.

After two hours of negotiations, John Dennis Gillane, 45, surrendered to police. He will be booked on three counts of attempted murder.

“He has just been taken into custody peacefully,” said Reno Police Chief Steve Pitts.

Reno Police Lt. Mohammad Rafqat said negotiations began about 12:30 p.m. when law enforcement surrounded Gillane, confining him to a corner on the north side of the Wal-Mart. He said police were able to negotiate a successful conclusion without having to use any SWAT tactics.

"It was very successful," he said.

All three victims were Wal-Mart employees. One victim has been treated and released from the hospital and the other two are in the ICU.

Rafaqat said he could not answer how many shots were fired or whether Gillane had made any demands before he started shooting this morning. He said police will release more details at a press conference early next week.

Pitts thanked all the law enforcement agencies who responded and said his thoughts and prayers are with the victims. He als thanked Wal-Mart for its cooperation.

-Sue Voyles, RGJ

Update at 2:30 p.m.

An RGJ photographer on scene said police have Gillane in custody. More details to come shortly.

Update at 2 p.m.

Reno Police Lt. Mohammad Rafqat said of the three shooting victims one is in serious condition and one critical but stable condition. The third has been released.

Police are still inside the Wal-Mart talking with the shooter.

Media will be briefed again shortly.

Update at 1:40 p.m.

Police are still at a standoff with a man who allegedly shot three people at a Reno Wal-Mart this morning.

The shooter has been identified as John Dennis Gillane, a 45-year-old Reno man who works at the store. Police say he is 6 feet tall, 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

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Police say Gillane is in the north side of the building and that area of the building has been secured. There are no hostages and no employees or customers remaining in the store.

Of the three injured, one was shot in the leg and has been released from the hospital. The other two remain in serious condition.

Police say they are negotiating with Gillane and hoping for a successful resolution.

According to police, Gillane “was to be counseled as to his employment status” today.

Police said the gurney was taken into the store as standard procedure when SWAT Team enters.

-Sue Voyles, RGJ

Update at 1:25 p.m.

Law enforcement will be briefing the media in about 10 minutes.

Update at 1:10 p.m.

An RGJ reporter on the scene said a gurney was just taken in through the "home and living" entrance.

Update at 1:05 p.m.

The following statement is posted on Wal-Mart's corporate website:

"At approximately 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time this morning an associate came into one of our Reno, Nevada stores and shot three other associates, one critically.

"The three injured associates have been taken to the hospital and the prognosis is good for all of them.

"The store has been evacuated and we are working closely with law enforcement to resolve the situation.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our store associates, customers and others in the community there during such a traumatic time."

Update at 12:40 p.m.

An RGJ Reporter on scene reports there were three marshals outside with guns drawn and two SWAT team members with guns drawn just approached the "home and living" entrance of the Wal-Mart and entered the store. Another seven police officers just went into the "garden shop" entrance with guns drawn. A few minutes later eight SWAT Team members also lined up at the home and living entrance and went inside.

Update at 12:10 p.m.

A shooter is still holed up inside the Wal-Mart on Kietzke Lane, according to Reno police.

Three people have been taken to the hospital including one employee who is a manager, said Reno Police Lt. Mohammad Rafaqat. Wal-Mart headquarters is issuing information that one is critically injured and other two not so.

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"There’s no fatalities as of yet,” Rafaqat said.

There are 30 to 40 local, federal and regional police on scene. Reno SWAT members are inside and assembling to negotiate with the man who is believed to be holed up in a northwest corner office. As yet police have made no visual contact with the man.

“He may be an employee of Wal-Mart, we have some information of who he may be,” Rafaqat said.

When the call came in at 8:30 a.m. police and other law enforcement organized into three teams, one for an active evacuation, a second to recover injured and a third to locate and capture the shooter.

From the Associated Press:A gunman was holed up Friday at a Walmart in Reno after he allegedly shot three employees who have been hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

About 100 people in the store were safely evacuated, police said.

The lone gunman entered the store about 8:30 a.m. and started shooting in the direction of an employee or employees, Reno Deputy Police Chief Mike Whan said.

“To our knowledge, he’s the only one in the store,” Whan told The Associated Press. “We don’t know anything about the gunman yet or his motives.”

The three injured employees were being treated at a hospital.

Police believe the gunman was in a back room. Whan said they were trying to contact him, but there was no dialogue so far.

Update at 11:15 a.m.

The alleged shooter at Wal-Mart this morning is still holed up in a corner office inside the building, according to KRNV News 4's Victoria Campbell. SWAT Team and negotiators are in the building trying to negotiate with him.

Update at 11 a.m.

Three people were shot inside the Kietzke Lane Wal-Mart this morning, according to KTVN Channel 2.

The television station reports authorities said a man walked into the store about 8:30 this morning with a small caliber handgun. The victims have been transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The FBI is also on scene.

Update at 10:50 a.m.

Jimmy Moses, who is in the parking lot with his toddler, said he dropped his wife off for her first day of work at Wal-Mart this morning.

Moses, who is communicating with his wife by cell phone, said all of the employees have been put on a bus and are sitting in the Sports Authority Parking lot.

Moses has heard that the store manager was shot in the leg, just before 9 a.m.

He said a roster of employees is being compared to who is on the bus to determine if there are any hostages or anyone left inside.

“They were very efficient, they got everybody out fast and they kept everybody calm,” Moses said.

Update at 10:30 a.m.

Reno police are responding to reports of a shooting at a Wal-Mart at Kietzke and South Virginia.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is also on scene, and the parking lot is cordoned off.